Famous People
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Famous People of "The Shaws"
JAMES TASSIE,
![Antique Coloured Glass History of Tassie ©Antique Coloured Glass History of Tassie](images/JamesTassie.png)
ALLAN GLEN
Was born in Pollokshaws in 1778. When he died in 1850 he bequeathed £22,000 for the 'Practical Education for Boys', and a school named after him was founded in Cathedral Street in 1854.
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WILLIAM COLLINS
Was born in Pollokshaws in 1789. He later attended the Parish School until he was twelve years of age, then became an apprentice weaver in a cotton mill. He was a clever lad and within six years he was a clerk in the mill and was giving voluntary tuition to his co-workers, religious instruction on Sundays and elementary education on weekday evenings. By the age of twenty-five he was a teacher in Glasgow and an elder in the Tron Kirk, the minister of which, the Rev. Stephen McGill (previously minister of Eastwood Church) helped him to establish a private school in the city. Five years later, in 1819, William Collins, again with the help of Mr. McGill, opened a bookshop and made a humble venture into publishing. The venture prospered, and thus was founded the great publishing concern of William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd., one of the largest in the world until recent years.BETTY THOMSON
![May Thomson (Burns) May Thomson (Burns)](images/maryburns.png)
THE RIGHT REVEREND MATTHEW STEWART DD
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1947, was born in Pollokshaws and baptised in the Pollokshaws Parish Church of which his parents were members.JOHN McLEAN
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JAMES MAXTON
Was born in Pollokshaws in 1885, where his father was headmaster of Pollok Academy. Maxton junior obtained a degree at Glasgow University and became a teacher. His political views were similar to John McLean's, and for a time they worked together for their cause in Pollokshaws, but apparently with little local support. Like McLean, Maxton's political activities in Glasgow brought him a term of imprisonment in 1916, but the friendship endured until McLean's death in 1923 when Maxton was a pallbearer at the funeral. But they followed different political paths with McLean becoming a Marxist, while Maxton followed left wing socialism by joining the Independent Labour Party (ILP) in 1904, the members of which gained notoriety during the 1920s as the Red Clydesiders. As his party's candidate Maxton became Member of Parliament for Bridgeton, Glasgow, in 1922 and continued to represent the constituency until his death in 1946, having served as Party Chairman for two five year periods. He was a popular figure in the House of Commons and was noted for his oratory, and but for the loyalty to his small Party he might have held office in a Labour Government. He wrote two books on political subjects and an autobiography, and has been considered to be of sufficient importance to merit an entry in the Encyclopaedia Britannica.YOUR OTHER NATIONAL DRINK!
![A.G. Barr Logo © A.G. Barr Logo ©](images/barrs.png)
![A.G.Barr Irn Bru Bottle Label A.G.Barr Irn Bru Bottle Label©](images/irnbru.png)
Although the Glasgow base was an offshoot of the Falkirk establishment, it had a much larger population (approaching 1,000,000) to supply. It was this business that was subsequently taken over by brother Andrew G. Barr, who gave his name to the present company. His son, William S. Barr, chairman 1909-1031, who spent some of his life living in the Pollokshaws area, was heavily into product advertising and had always laid emphasis on fitness and strength. He was also a devotee of strong man George Sandow's body building techniques, and was capable of tearing a telephone directory apart. Local athletes were enlisted to extol the "brew's" virtues - Willie Lyon, Celtic - "Best restorative for any athlete" - John Blair, Motherwell - "The tonic properties are just what every athlete requires" and later the great Benny Lynch added his endorsement.
Trademarks owned by A. G. Barr.
BOBBY EVANS
Another son of "The Shaws" played defensively for both Glasgow Celtic and Scotland. Never a goal scorer he received 48 international caps from the 23rd October 1948, playing against Wales to the 8th June1960, against Turkey.
From the 6th of May 1959 he skippered the team to a 3-2 victory over the then West Germany carrying on as captain until the end of his international career.
From the 6th of May 1959 he skippered the team to a 3-2 victory over the then West Germany carrying on as captain until the end of his international career.
He played along with such greats as Willie Ormond, Tommy Docherty, George Young, Bertie Auld, Ian St. John and Denis Law.
ALEX NORTON
Another "Shaws" boy, probably best known for his current role as DCI Matt Burke in the long running Glasgow based detective series "Taggart".Alex has had a long and distinguished career that has seen him in Dr. Finlay’s Casebook at the tender age of fourteen to roles in other hit shows such as Blackadder, The Bill, Bergerac, Juliet Bravo and The Sweeny, which found him up against another TV Cop legend, John Thaw. Then there are his roles in UK based films such as Bill Forsyth’s Gregory’s Girl, Little Voice where he worked with the likes of Michael Caine and Ewan McGregor and blockbuster movies such as Braveheart which found him working alongside Mel Gibson and Brian Cox, Local Hero set in the north of Scotand where he worked alongside Burt Lancaster, Denis Lawson and Jenny Seagrove. The Patriot Games as Dennis Cooley working with Harrison Ford, James Earl Jones, Sean Bean, Richard Harris and Samuel L Jackson. Chernobyl: The Final Warning where he played Dr. Andreyev alongside Jon Voight, Annette Crosbie and Jason Robards and most recently in The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest in which he plays Captain Bellamy alongside Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. Interestingly Alex had to turn down a part in Peter Jackson’s movie King Kong due to clash with other filming schedules. To find out more about Alex Norton follow the link by clicking on his picture above.